Should I add Height to this setup?

[Linwood]

Yes, he's back with another "my room is difficult" whine, but a more specific question.

Below is my room to date. It's KEF Q11's up front with a Q6 center, Q1's for Surround L/R (no back) and SVS PB-1000 Pro x 2 up front.

I do not know if I can get speakers in the ceiling. I've already had a low voltage company tell me they could not get wiring to the bay window ceiling, but maybe they can get to where the red X's are, I will have to have them come look. "Can't get there" as in from above, clearly we could tear out the ceiling and run from below, but that's a bad idea for a number of reasons (for example blown in insulation that would be really tough to restore when a lot falls out, much less the mess).

But maybe, and I can ask.

Option 1 is "who needs height" of course. And honestly everything sounds pretty good. But this hobby is addictive.

Option 2 is very easy, up-facing Q8's on top of the Q11's. But most things I read say up facing really do not work well enough to bother? But it is a hard surface ceiling.

Option 3 if I can get the wires run is one pair on the X's above the sofa. I don't think there is room for front/back height speakers (well, not for back). It's also possible due to access these may need to go a bit forward toward the console, not directly above the sofa. I would want flush mount speakers, not something hanging down, it's a really low ceiling.

I've drawn in some dimensions. In addition the sofa is about 1' off the wall so the SR/SL are slightly behind the listener. The bay window is about 3' deep.

PS. The X's are intended to be roughly over each end of the sofa. Looking at the perspective of the image I think I as I drew them they seem more toward the camera, but think over each end of the sofa, maybe 8' apart (they could be more).

 

[TLS Guy]

Yes, he's back with another "my room is difficult" whine, but a more specific question.

Below is my room to date. It's KEF Q11's up front with a Q6 center, Q1's for Surround L/R (no back) and SVS PB-1000 Pro x 2 up front.

I do not know if I can get speakers in the ceiling. I've already had a low voltage company tell me they could not get wiring to the bay window ceiling, but maybe they can get to where the red X's are, I will have to have them come look. "Can't get there" as in from above, clearly we could tear out the ceiling and run from below, but that's a bad idea for a number of reasons (for example blown in insulation that would be really tough to restore when a lot falls out, much less the mess).

But maybe, and I can ask.

Option 1 is "who needs height" of course. And honestly everything sounds pretty good. But this hobby is addictive.

Option 2 is very easy, up-facing Q8's on top of the Q11's. But most things I read say up facing really do not work well enough to bother? But it is a hard surface ceiling.

Option 3 if I can get the wires run is one pair on the X's above the sofa. I don't think there is room for front/back height speakers (well, not for back). It's also possible due to access these may need to go a bit forward toward the console, not directly above the sofa. I would want flush mount speakers, not something hanging down, it's a really low ceiling.

I've drawn in some dimensions. In addition the sofa is about 1' off the wall so the SR/SL are slightly behind the listener. The bay window is about 3' deep.

PS. The X's are intended to be roughly over each end of the sofa. Looking at the perspective of the image I think I as I drew them they seem more toward the camera, but think over each end of the sofa, maybe 8' apart (they could be more).

View attachment 76935

I would just enjoy and get used to what you have for the time being.

Those upfiring speakers put on top of mains are useless and worse than a waste of money.

Honestly those ceiling type speakers add little. I have four ceiling speakers placed to Dolby specs. I only did it as it was new construction in a new space. I built the boxes for them and I had amps to spare. It is ok to demo the odd helicopter or plane over head. It does I think they do improve the ambience of concert halls with the upmixer and especially native Atmos sources. However, I could easily live without it, and be very happy.

When it comes down to it, two good fronts and may be a sub or two give you 90% plus of the experience. One thing I do know, is that adding lesser speakers is a downgrade in the bed layer speakers. I think a lot of center speakers are a big downgrade. Very few are actually any good. They are by far the most difficult speakers to design. I spent more time and research on my center, than any other project I have ever undertaken. It is a speaker that I am really proud of and it is totally unique. The ear is very used to human speech for one thing. I can tell you that truly natural human speech reproduction is absolutely the hardest challenge facing any speaker designer. The clear, intelligible and natural, sets the bar very high indeed. When you add that you have less space to work with and it also needs to handle comparable spl. to the mains, it is close to an overwhelming task.